1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wheel-mounting assembly, more particularly to a wheel-mounting assembly with a wheel controlling mechanism for controlling orientation of wheels of a stroller.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the prior art, front wheels for a stroller are provided to guide moving direction of the stroller. FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a conventional stroller having a wheel-mounting assembly 1 mounted on the stroller frame thereof. The wheel-mounting assembly 1 includes: a wheel seat 11 adapted for mounting wheels 10 thereon; a wheel-mounting part 12 mounted on a top end of the wheel seat 11; a frame connecting part 13 coupled to the stroller frame (not shown) and pivoted to the wheel-mounting part 12; a pivot shaft 14 extending through the wheel-mounting part 12 and the frame connecting part 13 for pivot connection therebetween; a coupling pin 16 extending through the wheel seat 11 and the wheel-mounting part 12; and a positioning mechanism 15 mounted on the frame connecting part 13. The wheel-mounting part 12 has an upper front edge formed with a positioning notch 121. The frame connecting part 13 has a bottom side formed with a receiving chamber 131 defined by a chamber-defining wall 132. The positioning mechanism 15 includes a hollow engaging block 151 movably received in the receiving chamber 131, a tumbler 152 extending through the engaging block 151, a first spring 153 sleeved on the tumbler 152 and disposed in the engaging block 151, a second spring 154 disposed above the engaging block 151 and sleeved on an upper end portion of the tumbler 152, a control member 155 mounted rotatably on the frame connecting part 13 and disposed above the second spring 154, a locking pin 156 connecting an upper end of the tumbler 152 to a bottom end of the control member 155, and a lever 157 for driving movement of the engaging block 151 through the control member 155 and the second spring 154.
The wheels 10 can be operated through the positioning mechanism 15 between a free state, in which the wheels 10 together with the wheel seat 11 and the wheel mounting part 12 are free to rotate relative to the frame connecting part 13 as shown by the solid lines in FIG. 2, and a limited state, in which the wheels 10 together with the wheel seat 11 and the wheel mounting part 12 are locked against rotation relative to the frame connecting part 13 as shown by the imaginary lines in FIG. 2. To dispose the wheels 10 at the free state, the lever 157 is operated to move downward so as to displace the locking pin 156 to an upper position such that the engaging block 151 is retracted into the receiving chamber 131, thereby permitting the wheels 10 to rotate freely. To dispose the wheels 10 at the limited state, the lever 157 is operated to move upward so as to displace downward the locking pin 156 to a lower position, which results in downward movement of the second spring 154, which, in turn, moves the engaging block 151 into the positioning notch 121, thereby limiting the wheels 10 against rotation relative to the frame connecting part 13.
The wheel-mounting assembly 1 is disadvantageous in that assembly of the engaging block 151, the first and second springs 153, 154, the locking pin 156, and the control member 155 is laborious, and that mounting of the assembly of the engaging block 151, the first and second springs 153, 154, and the locking pin 156 in the receiving chamber 131 in the frame connecting part 13 is relatively inconvenient.